Dabaang fame actress Sonakshi and actor Anil Kapoor jointly presented the award to Sinha, who has acted in more than 200 Hindi movies and also in Punjabi and Bangla cinema.

Mayor of Tampa Bay Bob Buckhorm joined them in bestowing award to the 67-year-old actor, who is also known by the name "Shotgun Sinha".

Sinha dedicated the award to the people of Bihar in general and Patna in particular.

"Patna, my birth place, is my strength as well as weakness...I am here today only because of love and affection of my people," Sinha, popularly known as "Bihari Babu", said turning nostalgic.

The actor-turned politician who served as health minister in NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee exhorted younger generation to keep away from drugs and shun use of tobacco.

He said: "if you can't prove yourself better than others prove yourself different from them."

Sinha, who is contesting Lok Sabha election from Patna Sahib seat in Bihar where voting took place on April 17, said the very name of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi generates excitement among people in America.

"While delivering speech after receiving IIFA awards at Raymond James stadium in Tampa, Florida in the US when I told the audience that I have come to the function midway through the general election where BJP is surging ahead to come to power audience broke into excitement," Sinha told PTI over phone from Tampa.